Keen Johnson, journalist, politician, business executive, was born
at Brandon's Chapel in Lyon County, Kentucky, to Robert and Mattie Holloway
Johnson on January 12, 1896. Keen was the only son born to the Johnsons
along with two daughters--Catherine (Keturah) and Christine. His father,
a circuit riding preacher of the Methodist Church, was his earliest teacher
and in following his profession took the family throughout western Kentucky.
Johnson received his elementary education in the common schools of the
region and in 1914 graduated from Vanderbilt Training School, a boy's preparatory
institute at Elkton, Kentucky. In the fall and for the next three years,
he pursued academic studies at Central College, Fayette, Missouri. While
there he married Eunice Lee Nichols, daughter of Robert Lee and Mary (Avery)
Nichols of Higbee, Missouri, on June 23, 1917. Mrs. Johnson, through her
father, descended from a Barren County, Kentucky, pioneer who moved to
Missouri. Her father, a physician, died when she was nine months old.

When America entered World War I, Johnson enrolled in the Reserve
Officer's training Camp at Fort Riley, Kansas, May 15, 1917. He was appointed
second lieutenant, Infantry, Officers Reserve Corps on August 15, 1917,
and assigned to active duty with the 354th Infantry, 89th Division at Camp
Funston, Kansas. Promoted to first lieutenant, Infantry, National Army,
on March 29, 1918, Johnson embarked for France, June 4, 1918. He spent
considerable time receiving instruction in logistical communications at
the Army School of the Line and Staff College. After the armistice he remained
in Europe with the Allied Expeitionary Force until April, 1919, and was
honorably discharged, October 31, 1919.

Following his discharge Johnson began his career in journalism. He
bought The Mirror, a weekly newspaper at Elizabethtown, and operated it
for one year. Then he enrolled at the University of Kentucky completing
his A.B. degree in Journalism in 1922. While attending the university,
he worked part-time as a reporter for the Lexington Herald, receiving tutelage
under two of Kentucky's leading journalists, Desha Breckinridge and Tom
R. Underwood. Following gradution he bought an interest in The Anderson
News at Lawrenceburg and published and edited the newspaper until he moved
to Richmond in 1925, where he purchased half interest in the Richmond Daily
Register from Shelton M. Saufley, Sr. He served as editor and co-publisher
from 1925 until 1939, and continued to write any of the paper's editorials
until the late 1960's.

One daughter, Judith, was born to the Johnsons on May 19, 1927, in
Richmond. Now Mrs. Richard Jaggers, she is the mother of two sons Robert
Babbage, Jr. and Keen Johnson Babbage.

Johnson launched his political career in 1932 by being elected secretary
of the Democratic State Central and Executive Committee. Through contacts
made while serving as secretary, numerous columns he wrote in the Daily
Register which were reprinted in other Kentucky Democratic daily and weekly
newspapers, and his lively speeches, Johnson's importance and strength
in the Democratic party grew. In 1935 he ran for lieutenant governor and
defeated J. E. Wise and B. F. Wright, contenders in the Democratic primary.
On September 7 he defeated Wise in a runoff election, and in the November
general election defeated Repubcan candidate, J.J. Kavanaugh. As Lieutenant
Governor and President of the Senate in the administration of Governor
A. B. "Happy" Chandler, Johnson supported many of Chandler's governmental
reorganization plans and became a favorite candidate for the 1939 Democratic
gubernatorial ticket.

He announced his candidacy for governor on May 17, 1939. A bitterly
fought primary campaign against John Y. Brown, Sr., produced a Johnson
victory in August 32,000 votes. He opened his gubernatorial campaign on
October 7, 1939, in Mt. Sterling. Fate, however, intervened. United States
Senator Marvin Mills Logan died on October 3 and on October 9 Governor
Chandler resigned. Keen Johnson took the oath as governor and his first
official act was to appoint Chandler fill Logan's unexpired Senate term.
Johnson was elected for a full term on November 17, defeating Republican
King Swope of Lexington by more than 100,000 votes.

Inaugurated on December 12, 1939, as Kentucky's forty-second governor,
Johnson and his administration strove for modest improvements in the state's
social service program, especially increased funding for public health
facilities, legislative enactment of the Tennessee Valley Authority Enabling
Act, and strong support of President Franklin Roosevelt's wartime domestic
policies. Shortages of civilian labor and materials plus Johnson's fiscal
conservatism, however, prevented the growth of state capital construction
projects. Johnson did erase the state's debt and left a $10 million surplus
in the treasury when he left office in December, 1943.

On January 1, 1944, Johnson joined the Reynolds Metals Company as
a special assistant to President Richard Samuel Reynolds, Sr. advising
him on postwar unemloyment problems. In 1945 he became Vice President for
Public Relations. Because of his ability to work well with union leaders,
President Harry Truman and Senator Alben Barkley prevailed upon him to
accept a newly created position undersecretary of labor to secretary, Louis
B. Schwellenbach. Johnson took leave of absence from Reynolds in August,
1946 to mid-1947 to work for the government. Due to the illness of Secretary
Schwellenbach, Johnson attended severaI presidential cabinet meetings.
Returning to Reynolds, he resumed his vice-presidency and in 1950 became
a member of the Board of Directors. Johnson maintained an office in Louisville,
but spent many days travelling throughout the nation and occasionally overseas
promoting the company's aluminum products and organizing Reynolds sales
executive meetings. He retired from Reynolds in January, 1961.

Johnson was a stalwart in the Democratic party for years, serving
as a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1940 to 1948. He
engaged in his last political campaign in 1960 when he ran for a seat in
the United States Senate. Again he defeated his longtime opponent, John
Y. Brown, Sr., in the primary but lost to the Republican incumbent, John
Sherman Cooper, in the November general election.

Over the years, Johnson served with various professional, fraternal,
social, and military organizations. He was president of the Kentucky Press
Association and of the Kentucky Social Workers Association. He served as
president of the Louisville Advertising Club and the Louisville Safety
Council during his active years with Reynolds Metals Company. He was chairman
of the Kentucky Disabled Service Men's Board and campaign chairman for
the Kentucky Crippled Children's Society. He was a board member of the
Kentucky Heart Association, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Louisville
International Center, and the Richmond Methodist Church.

The University of Kentucky awarded Johnson an honorary doctor of
laws degree in 1940 and later a Centennial Award. He received a Distinguished
Service Plaque from Eastern Kentucky University where he served for eight
years a member of the Board of Regents. He was president of the University
of Kentucky Alumni Association. He served on the Kentucky Council on Higher
Education for many years and for two terms on the Kentucky Board of Education.

Keen Johnson died February 7, 1970, in Richmond and is interred in
the Richmond Cemetery.